As far as I know, Nietzsche has actually visited Nuremberg three times in his life, namely in 1861, 1867 and 1873. Therefore, it seems natural that I would want to document his stays in my native city and provide some explanatory illustrations.

I. Nietzsche's first visit of Nuremberg, of the "Sängerfest" in 1861 During his school vacations, young Nietzsche wanted to visit the "Deutsche Sängerfest" in Nuremberg and travelled via Bamberg, Forchheim, Lichtenfels and the monastery at Banz. This "German Singers' Festival" was to take place in Nuremberg from July 20 to 23, 1861 "unter Mitwirkung von 283 Gesangvereinen mit mehr als 6000 Sängern stattfand". (Chronik S. 79; 283 Singing Societies and more than 6,000 singers took part) The picture to the right shows Nietzsche in that year at his Gymnasium in Schulpforta. A just-released catalogue of the Nuremberg City Museum Fembohaus entitled "Der Hauptmarkt im Spiegel der Zeit", edited by the Museen der Stadt Nürnberg, Wolf & Rabe, 2001, comments on this: "Das zweite ‚Allgemeine Deutsche Sängerfest‘ fand vom 21. Bis 24. Juli 1861 statt und war eine der wichtigsten politischen Massenveranstaltungen Nürnbergs im 19. Jahrhundert. Etwa 20.000 Sänger und Zuschauer reisten, zum Großteil per Bahn, an. Auf der Veranstaltung wurde der großen Vergangenheit Nürnbergs gedacht und der Wunsch nach der deutschen Einigung proklamiert, Zu den Höhepunkten zählte der am 22. Juli über den Hauptmarkt ziehende Sängerfestzug." (Here, it is related that this "Second General German Singers' Festival" took place from July 21 to 24, 1861 and was one of the most important political mass congregations in Nuremberg during the 19th century. About 20,000 singers and visitors traveled to Nuremberg, mainly by train. The festival commemorated the great past of this city and proclaimed the desire of the Germans for unification. One of the highlights of this festival was the parade across the Hauptmarkt on July 22).

A lithography by Rudolph and Julius Geißler (1861) vividly depicts this event at the Hauptmarkt, surrounded by St. Sebaldus church, the City Hall and the "Schöne Brunnen" (Beautiful Fountain)

The following picture bears witness to the fact that the restoration of these sites has been conducted in a suitable fashion. It depicts approximately the same view as the above lithography from 1861.

Photo HW 2001 (to the left the St. Sebaldus church, in the middle the so-called "Kaiserstallung" and "Luginsland",
to the right the old City Hall by Wolf and the new City Hall, as well as the "Schöne Brunnen"

Obviously, Nietzsche had arrived by train from Plauen, where he had stayed at his "dear aunts'" (and with his wealthy uncle Hermann Friedrich Theodor Nietzsche). On July 20, 1861, young Nietzsche received a traveling document that was issued by the Royal Court at Plauen and allowed him, the "Zögling der Fürstenschule Pforte bei Naumburg, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche [...] zur Reise nach Nürnberg und die fränkische Schweiz, zum Vergnügen" ["the student of the Prince's School at Pforta near Naumburg, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche [...] to travel to Nuremberg and to Swiss Frankonia for his vacation"].

With respect to his stay at Nuremberg, he made the following notes (Chronik p. 79):

»Nachtreise. Hof. Ueberfüllung. Unordnung. Unwohl. Bamberg. Besser. Nürnberg. Reisegesellschaft. 2 Sänger 1 dicker Herr, ein stummer Stiller, die Dame mit naseblut[endem] Kind usw. Ungemüthlichkeit.– ["Nightly travel. Hof. Crowded. Messy. Not feeling well. Bamberg. Better. Nuremberg. Traveling companions: 2 singers, 1 fat gentleman, a silent man, a lady with a child with a bleeding nose, etc. Discomfort"]

The old Nuremberg railway station beyond the city walls - built in 1846, torn down in 1903

erster Eindruck der Stadt. Schmids. Höflichkeit der Nürnberger. Ausgehen. Allgemeine Bemerkungen. Festhalle. Probe. (unleserlich) Rückkehr. Aegidienkirche mit prachtvollen Nebenkapellen Dürerbilder Jesus auf Gethsemane. Frauenkirche, catholscher Gott[esdienst,] bunte Fenster. Buchhandlung v[on] Schmidt. Mittag, die vier Direktoren. Champagner. Konzert. Blaues Glöckli. lange gesucht. Kapellmeister Tschirch Komponiren. Oper: Meister Martin und seine Gesellen sucht in Nürnberg aufzuführen die Schwäne, Schwanengesang vollendet. componirt früh, arbeitet in der Nacht aus. – Nachtquartier.
["first impression of the City. Schmids. Politeness of the Nurembergers. Going out. General remarks. Festival Hall. Rehearsal. (illegible). Return. Aegidien Church with wonderful side chapels. Dürer paintings. "Jesus auf Gethsemane". Frauenkirche. catholic mass. colorful windows. Book store v[on] Schmidt. Noon, the four directors. Champaing. Concert. Searched long for the "Blaue Glöckli". Kapellmeister Tschirch. Komposition. Opera: "Meister Martin und seine Gesellen", is seeking to stage it in Nuremberg. "Die Schwäne". (The Swans). "Schwanengesang" (Swan Song) completed. Composed early, works drafts out at night. Night lodgings.]

Egidien-Chruch

Interior of Egidien-Church

"Männleinlaufen" at the Frauenkirche

Morgen. Stadtweg. Promenade Festhalle. Kaiserstüblein Rathhaus. Museum. Schmid Lorenzkirche. Mittag. Festzug. Konditorei. Hans Sachs, Dürer. Glöckel. Schmid. Abendbrod. Bier. Klavier gespielt. Hinweg. [unleserlich] Spinnerei. – Nachtblick. Morgen. Abschied vom Wirth. Gang um die Stadt. Junge. Herrn Bulls Freundlichkeit. Auf die Burg. Aussicht. Rathhaus. Gesellenstehen. – Schmid. Bahnhof. Ausschmückung. Rosenau. Durch die Stadt.
Rückreise. Bamberg« [BAW, 1, S. 256-257]
[Morning. Stadtweg. Promenade. Festival Hall. Kaiserstüblein. City Hall. Museum. Schmid. St. Lorenz-Church. Noon. Festival Parade. Artistic Bakery. Hans Sachs, Dürer. "Glöckel". Supper. Beer. Played piano. Away. [illegible]. "Spinnerei". Nightly view. Morning. Farewell from Wirth. Walk around the city. Boy. Mr. Bull's friendliness. To the castle. View. City Hall. "Gesellenstehen". Schmid. Railway station. Ornamentation. Rosenau. Through the city. Return journey. Bamberg« (BAW, 1, p. 256-257)]

Lorenz church

Hans Sachs

Dürer House

Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Apparently, Nietzsche had a chance to meet some relatives in Nuremberg (and was even able to play the piano), namely with the family Schmid he referred to. Perhaps, this family is even related to Alfred Schmid at Plauen who was married to an aunt of Nietzsche, Hedwig Nietzsche (which made Alfred Schmid of Plauen a relative by affinity of young Nietzsche) who was also Nietzsche's god-uncle?

In any event, he obviously attended the rehearsals, what he would also do later, during his Bonn study year, and he took in many of Nuremberg's sights, so that he, in addition to the mentioned Egidien-Church, the Frauenkirche and the St.-Lorenz-Church, must certainly also have seen the St. Sebaldus-Church, since he obviously had his supper and beer at the "Glöckel", as he also did during his second visit in the company of Rohde. This picturesque Bratwurst Inn named "Bratwurstglöckle" was built right next to the Moritz Chapel besides the St. Sebaldus Church.

Moritz Chapel with the old "Bratwurstglöckle"

Memorial Plaque

Unfortunately, the City of Nuremberg does not see itself in a position to rebuild the chapel and the adjacent, traditional inn. Rather, it hoped that "future generations" will do so .. therefore, one of the most original sights in Nuremberg could not yet be re-built in its original form.

With respect to this visit, I can add some material that I have found in the 'BAW' edition of Nietzsche's works, the 'Beck'sche Ausgabe Werke 1933-1940)':

Only a year has passed in 1861 since Ludwig Feuerbach had to move to his Rechenberg residence in Nuremberg after the bankrupcty of his wife's porcelain manufacturing plant--which would mean that, in 1861, Nietzsche would have had a chance to meet this philosopher, whose works, 'Wesen des Christentums' and 'Gedanken über Tod und Unsterblichkeit' he had entered on his wish list for his birthday of this year (October 15, 1861)  (BAW I, 251).

Added on April 8, 2005:
A report in the newly published Volume 21 of Ludwig Feuerbach, Gesammelte Werke, Briefwechsel V, edited by the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, through Werner Schuffenhauer, Akademie-Verlag GmbH 2004, p. 395/524 f., indicates that, during this time, the Naumburg student and the Rechenberg philosopher might have brushed shoulders, since Feuerbach, too, attended the Sängerfest, as can be seen from a reference in one of his letters:

"/ Rechenberg bei Nürnberg, 31. Juli [1861] Hochgeehrter Herr,
das große deutsche Sängerfest, dessen begeisternder Feier auch ich Ohren, Auge, Herz und Hand nicht verschließen konnte und mochte, dessen unvermeidliche Zeitverschwendung man aber hernach durch umso größern Zeitgeiz wieder zu ersetzen suchte, ist allein schuld, daß ich erst heute Ihre Anfrage beantworte... " [/Rechenberg near Nuremberg, July 31st [1861] Highly esteemed Sir, the great German Sängerfest, whose enthusiastic celebration I, too, could and would not close my ears, eyes, heart and hands to, whose unavoidable waste of time one afterwards, however, tries to compensate by all the more prudent use of time, is solely at fault that I am only answering your request, today...]

Erläuterungen in GW 20, 395: Sängerfest: Vom 20. bis zum 23. Juli 1861 fand in Nümberg das "Allgemeine Deutsche Sänger-Fest" statt. Vgl. Gesänge zum deutschen Sänger-Fest in Nürnberg vom 20. bis 23. Juli 1861 und Gedenkbuch des in der Stadt Nürnberg 1861 begangenen Großen Deutschen Sängerfestes. Auf Veranlassung des Festausschusses herausgegeben. Mit drei Stahlstichen, Nürnberg 1861. [Explanations in GW 20, 395: Sängerfest: From July 20th to 23rd, 1861, took place in Nürnberg as the "Allgemeine Deutsche Sänger-Fest". See also songs for the German Sänger-Fest in Nürnberg from July 20th to 23rd, 1861 and "Gedenkbuch" [Commemorative Publication] of the Great German Sängerfest (Festival of Singers] that took place in the city of Nürnberg in 1861. Published at the direction of the Festival Committee. With three steel etchings, Nürnberg, 1861.]

BAW I, 254 --here Nietzsche made the following notes:

"Museum
! Sebaldusgrab v<on> Vischer
Station Grablegung v<on> Kraft.
Das schreierische Monument v<on> Kraft
! Das Abendmahl <von> Kraft
! Der Verrath v<on> Kraft
Ölberg v<on> Kraft
      (wundervoller Jesus)"
("Museum
! Sebaldus grave by Vischer
The shouting monument by Kraft
burial station by Kraft
!The Last Supper by Kraft
! The betrayal by Kraft
Mount of Olives by Kraft
(wonderful Jesus) 

The tomb of St. Sebaldus at the Sebaldus-Church, by P. Vischer

Self-depiction of A. Kraft at the Sacristy of the St. Lorenz-Church, by A. Kraft

Scene of Jesus' carrying his cross in the Sebaldus-Church, by A. Kraft

BAW I, 255 here, he also noted:  "Hans Behaim, Nürnberg erhaben, Pirkheimer, nach Dürer.
Nürnberg. Reichsfeste Gemäldesammlung Rathhaus S. Lorenzkirche. Sebaldskirche. S. Jakob Dominicanerkirche Bibliothek Aegidienkirche. Melanchthonstatue" (Hans Behaim, Nuremberg sublime; Pirkheimer, after Dürer, Nuremberg, Imperial Fortress Picture Gallery City Hall St. Lorenz Church Sebaldus Church St. Jacob Dominican Church, Library, Egiden Church, Melanchton statue).

The Melanchthon-Staue
vn fromt of the old Melanchthon-Gymnasium at the Egidienplatz

Moreover, Nietzsche had also visited the so-called "Kaiserstübchen" (Imperial Room) in the late-Gothic Scheuerl house of 1486 in which German emperors used to stay frequently.  (This property of an old Nuremberg patrician family  at Burgstrass 10 was completely destroyed on January 2, 1945).  With respect to these Imperial visits, Nietzsche wrote down the following poem::

"Es giengen hier in der Scheurlbergerhaus
Als Gast der Kaiser selber ein und aus
Wollt er der Hofburg stolzes Prangen meiden
Drum bleibt Nürnberg, was den Fürsten ehrt
Doch auch, was hält auf eignen Bürgerwerth
Sein Kaiserstüblein lieb für alle Zeit<en>." (BAW I, 257)

And in BAW I, 259, he surprisingly noted:

"O Nürnberg, Nürnberg, heilge Stadt
Ich hab dich lieb wie keine."

Partly by train, partly on foot, these two friends traveled, among other places, to Eger, Altenburg, Cham, Zwiesel, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Coburg and Meiningen during this summer. While Rohde made extensive notes into his travel diary, Nietzsche, as in 1861, only made notes in point-form, and that also of details of his expenses (his mentioning of these expenses would suggest that he was on a tight budget):

"Anreise von Regensburg mit der Bahn. Selbstverständlich werden im Glöckle die obligatorischen Bratwürste mit Sauerkraut verzehrt (18 Kreuzer), dann wird ein Bad genommen (8 Kreuzer), ansonsten läßt man es sich die nächsten zwei Tage mit Besichtigungen (Germanisches Museum, 30 Kreuzer) und vielfachem Einkehren (‚Kafé Nörrs – schlecht – Kaffe [9 Kreuzer]’) Konzert und Bier (10 Kreuzer) wohlergehen." (Chronik S. 170)
["Arrived from Regensburg by train. Of course, the obligatory Bratwürste with Sauerkraut have to be eaten at the "Glöckle" (18 Kreuzer), then one has to take a bath (8 Kreuzer), otherwise, one enjoys the next two days with visits (of the "Germanische Museum", 30 Kreuzer) and with several stays in restaurants (Kafe Nörrs, bad coffe [9 Kreuzer]', concert and beer (10 Kreuzer)"].

Immediately after this journey, Nietzsche had to start his tour of duty with the artillery at Naumburg. In November, he reminisced mournfully:

"Heute feiere ich den Sonntag auf meine Weise, indem ich mich meines fernen Freundes und unserer gemeinsamen Vergangenheit in Leipzig und im Böhmerwald und in Nirwana [Anspielung auf die Aufführung des gleichnamigen Werkes von H. v. Bülow im Schopenhauerschen Geiste, das in Meiningen aufgeführt worden war – "die Musik war fürchterlich"] gedenke. ... Damals ein Leben in freiester Selbstbestimmung, im epikuräischen Genuß der Wissenschaft und der Künste." (Briefwechsel mit Rohde, S. 11)
["Today, I am celebrating this Sunday in may own fashion, by remembering my distant friend and our stays in Leipzig, in the Bohemian Forest and in the Nirwana {reference to the staging by Hans von Bülow of the work by the same name at Meiningen, "the music was terrible"] ... At that time, a life of freedom, of Epicurean enjoyment of sciences and the arts"].

In the spring of 1873, Overbeck and Nietzsche, while living at their common Basel apartment in the "Baumannshöhle", Schützengraben 45, wrote their respective works, namely Nietzsche his "Erste Unzeitgemäßße Betrachtung" on "David Friedrich Strauss, der Bekenner und Schriftsteller", and Overbeck his work, "Ueber die Christlichkeit unserer heutigen Theologie" which were published by Fritzsch in Leipzig, with the help of Richard Wagner. For their own use, they had these works bound together, and Nietzsche dedicated this single edition to Overbeck, with the following poemt:

"Ein Zwillingspaar aus dem Einem Haus / ging muthig in die Welt hinaus, / Welt-Drachen zu zerreißen. / Zwei-Väterwerk! Ein Wunder war’s / Die Mutter doch des Zwillingspaars / Freundschaft ist sie geheissen!" (Briefwechsel mit Overbeck S. 8)

At the end of the winter semester, Nietzsche and Rohde visited Richard and Cosima Wagner at Bayreuth from April 6 to April 12 (the Saturday before Easter Sunday), where they saw the new "Haus Wahnfried" that was still under construction. Nietzsche read from his manuscript, "Die Philosophie im tragischen Zeitalter der Griechen", "ich habe mich wieder auf das herrlichste überzeugt, was die Griechen sind und waren. Der Weg von Thales bis Sokrates ist etwas Ungeheures." (KSB, 4, Nr. 301, S. 139, "I was once again able to convince myself in a wonderful fashion what the ancient Greeks are and were. The path from Thales to Socrates is something incredible.) On Good Friday, Cosima wrote in her diary, "Uns verdrießt ein wenig die musizierende Spielerei unseres Freundes ..." ("we are not enjoying our friend's musik making") (this "enjoyment" would "increase" during the next year, as can be read in our Nietzsche-Wagner page); on April 12, Nietzsche left with his friend Rohde, "in a melancholy mood", and they part company at Lichtenfels. Read what Nietzsche wrote to his friend Rohde in his letter of May 5, 1873, from Basle (Briefwechsel mit Rohde p. 406 ff.):

Theuerster Freund,

bist Du wieder in der Semesterthätigkeit darin? Wir fangen so nachgerade in diesen Tagen an. Was Glänzendes wird es wieder nicht, doch auch nicht so lumpig und so durchaus verächtlich, wie im vorigen Winter. ... Overbeck ist mit seiner Schrift (wir nennen sie "Zukunftstheologie") fertig, auch der Verleger ist gefunden – und wer? Fritzschius! Natürlich in so schönem Gewande wie die Geburt der Tragödie auftretend, wird sie nicht verfehlen, alle theologischen Parteien zur Entrüstung zu bringen. Gersdorff hat Recht, wenn er schreibt, Basel sei vulcanisch geworden. Auch ich habe wieder etwas Lava gespien: eine Schrift gegen David Strauß ist ziemlich fertig, wenigstens in der ersten Skizze – aber ich bitte Dich um Grabes-Nacht-Stillschweigen, denn es wird eine große Mystifikation in Scene gesetzt. Ich kam von Bayreuth in einer solchen anhaltenden Melancholie zurück, daß ich mich endlich nirgends anderswohin retten konnte, als in die heilige Wuth. ...
["Dearest friend, have you re-immersed yourself in your semester work? We are just starting, these days. Once again, it is not going to be anything glamorous, but it will not be as shabby and as deplorable as last winter. ... Overbeck has finished his work (we call it "Future Theology"), and a publisher has been found, and who? Fritzschius! Of course, it is bound as beautifully as the "Geburt der Tragödie", and thus it will not fail to enrage all theological parties. Gersdorff is right when he writes that Basle has become volcanic. I, too, have spewed some more lava, again: my work against David Strauß is almost complete, at least in its first draft. However, I ask you to keep grave-dead-silent about it, since I want to stage some mystification with it. From Bayreuth, I returned in such a long-lasting melancholy mood that I was not able to find any other release but sacred anger"]

Weißt Du, daß unser überaus festlicher Abschiedstrunk in Lichtenfels mich berauscht gemacht hatte? Nämlich es trat das Phänomen ein, daß ich wähnte, ich würde in einem großen Rade mit herumgedreht: dabei wurde mir schwindlicht, ich schlief ein, wachte in Bamberg auf, trank Kaffee: und war Mensch wie zuvor. Verlebte dann den Nachmittag in Nürnberg, sowie den zweiten Ostertag, und befand mich körperlich ebenso wohl als höchst, höchst schwermüthig! Dabei waren alle Leute geputzt und liefen im Freien herum, und die Sonne so herbstlich mild. Nachts sauste ich nach Lindau ab, fuhr, im Kampf von Nacht- und Tagesgestirn, früh um fünf Uhr über den Bodensee, kam noch zeitig am Rheinfall bei Schaffhausen an, machte dort Mittag. Neue Schwermuth, dann Heimreise. An Lauffenburg vorbeikommend sah ich, daß die Stadt mächtig brannte.
["Do you know that our thoroughly festive farewell drink at Lichtenfels has made me drunk? I experienced a phenomenon or feeling as if I was being turned around in a big wheel, and I became dizzy from it, I fell asleep, awoke at Bamberg, drank coffee, and returned to being a human being, as before. Spent the afternoon after that in Nuremberg, also the second Easter Holiday, and was physically feeling very well, but also very, very melancholy! All people were dressed up and went for walks, and the sun shone as mildly as in fall. At night I whisked away to Lindau, drove there, in my nightly fighting mood; the next morning, I crossed Lake Constance at five o'clock, arrived at the Rheinfall at Schaffhausen on time, had lunch there. Renewed melancholy, then my journey home. Passing Lauffenburg, I saw that the town was in flames."]

Nuremberg was also in flames in 1944/1945; it was that evil spirit that already Zarathustra propagated: to consider peace only as a preparatory period for the next war; the same evil spirit resulted in Nuremberg being set on fire--the city that Nietzsche enjoyed to visit--and of which only ruins were left, as a result.

View of the ruins at the Hauptmarkt in Nuremberg, in 1945, with the walled-in "Schönen Brunnen"

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